Omaha daily bee., 1887-11-20
Organized Charity.

OrRhubLcu suuFNys
The season is at hand when the de-
mands on charity will be largely in
creased and become more urgent. II is
we'll to consider how they may be most
properly and iudiciously met, TO the end
that the deserving and retiring objects
of elemosynary care shall not suffer
while the unworthy who boldly enforce
attention to their demands are provided
for. We believe Omaha has as small a
number of people needing charity as
any city of equal population in the coun-
try. There has been employment here
throughout the summer for all who were
able to work, and the provident have
had no difficulty in making provision for
the season in which they cannot work,
or can find only casual employment.
But some have been provident, while
for other reasons some have not been
able to do more than provide for imme-
diate wants. For such the winter will
bring hardship and privation that must
be relieved by the hand of charity.
Organized charity is the outgrowth
of progressive civilization. 1t exem-
plitics the higher and broader humanity
of this age. Not very many years ago
paupers were subjected to indignity.
Now the state provides asylums for the
insane, hospitals are built for the home
less sick and homes are provided for
the helpless poor. Friendless old age
is cared for at the public expense, there
are retreats for the fallen, there are re-
formatories for children, who left to
themselves would run to vice and
crime, all testifying to the advanced
humanity of the present time. To
discriminate between the worthy and
unworthy poor to assist those who are
really in need, to relieve helpless child
hood from the miseries of poverty, and
to lift up the down-trodden, is the work
of organized charity. Its merciful
mission is carried on with knowledge
of facts and circumstances, without
which there will always be great
amount Of imposition, and charity be-
comes in large measure u waste and
even an injury. All who have given
attention to this very serious subject
agree in regarding unorganized relief
and indiscriminate giving as evils. OF
the latter one who has given years to
charitable work says: "It fosters i'm
| providence, intemperance, pauperism
and lying. II gives to importunate
| dead beats and to chronic winners that
which ought to go to the relief of retir-
ing destitution and special mlsfor-
tune, and it tends TO dry up the
very fountains of charity by making the
| giver feel altogether uncertain whether
he is doing good or harm by his charit-
table giving" Another authority says
"Unorgalized relief tends to poverty
and does not reform the pauper. 1t is
easy to give, but it is hard to give
wisely, for half of our benevolence turn
to poverty and crime" What every
large community requires is such g
| systematizing of charities that there
best treatment of all real destitution
and also for the detection of all fraud.
ulent appeals for charity.
| The attainment of this in Omaha is
the object, as we understand it, of the
| proposed creation of board of chari
ties. for the accomplishment of which 9
| meeting of citizens will be held al
Boyd's opera house tomorrow evening
This project merits the attention ani
support of every person who is suscept
ible to the appeals of honest want, ant
who appreciates the Importance of or
ganized effort and system in the prose
cution of charitable work. There ough
to be no difficulty and no unnecessar,
delay in perfecting the organization o
a board of charities, and it is desirable
that this be done and the work entered
upon before the winter is far advanced